Convertible shoe

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a convertible shoe, which is convertible between a high heel mode and a low heel mode, the convertible shoe comprising a front part, a first rear part having a heel, and a second rear part having a heel which is lower than the heel of the first rear part, wherein the first and second rear parts are exchangeable, allowing the shoe to be converted between the high heel mode and the low heel mode, wherein the convertible shoe comprises a coupling between the front part and the rear part which allows coupling and uncoupling of the front part and rear part and exchanging the rear part, wherein the coupling comprises a front coupling part provided at a rear end of the front part and a rear coupling part provided at a forward end of the rear part.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to footwear for women, in particularfootwear which can be converted between a high heel and a low heel, andto this end has exchangeable rear parts. Footwear which is convertiblefrom a high heel to a low heel is known.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many women who visit a party, date or other event wish to look feminineand sexy. For this purpose, women often wear shoes with high heels. Thehigh heels provide the feminine and sexy look. However, shoes with highheels are not very comfortable, and often cause pain after a few hours.Generally, when the woman in question goes home at the end of the event,she would prefer to take off her shoes immediately after leaving theevent because they hurt her feet. She would prefer to put on morecomfortable shoes for the trip back home.

However, even with comfortable shoes the lady in question often stillwishes to look quite feminine and sexy. Many temporary shoes which areavailable (e.g. flip-flops) do not meet that demand, because they haveno heels, no stylish look and a general lack of quality. For thatreason, many women prefer to continue walking on shoes which hurt abovewalking on shoes which makes them feel ugly.

There is a demand for shoes which are convertible between a high heelmode (or party mode) and a low heel mode (or travel mode) and which arealso stylish and provide a feminine look to the user both in the partymode and in the travel mode, and which do not comprise parts which aretoo heavy or large to be to be carried around in a ladies bag, forinstance during a party. Apart from these requirements, the shoe alsoneeds to meet the requirements of high quality and a long lifetime.These requirements apply both in the party mode and in the travel mode.The conversion between high heel mode and low heel mode needs to be easyand quick.

At present such shoes do not exist. Various attempt have been made, butnone of these attempts has resulted in a shoe which meets therequirements. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,462 discloses a woman'sshoe which can be disassembled in a front part and a rear part. Thereare two versions of the rear part. A first version of the rear part hasa high heel and therefore makes a woman look feminine. This is the“party mode”. A second version of the rear part has a low heel andprovides more comfort. This is the travel mode. Because of the low heel,the woman still looks reasonably feminine and in any case much betterthan she would on flip-flops or the like.

The shoe according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,462 has several problems. Oneproblem is that the coupling between the rear part and the front part isquite complex. The rear part comprises a metal plate which protrudeshorizontally in a forward direction from a main section of the rearpart. The front past comprises a slot which is open to the rear side.The metal horizontal plate is inserted into the slot. This coupling isnot very strong, because the metal plate is quite thin. It needs to bequite thin, because the sole of the front part of the shoe is quitethin. There is no space in the front part for a thicker plate. Theoverall construction is also difficult to manufacture and therefore notvery-cost effective. The operation of coupling and uncoupling the frontpart and rear part is also quite cumbersome.

The metal plate may damage other goods inside a ladies bag. This makesthe shoe impractical and unsuitable. Because of the thin construction ofthe metal plate, any other material than metal cannot be applied becauseit is simply not strong enough.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a shoe which can beconverted between a high mode in which it has a high heel and a low modein which it has a low heel, and to this end has exchangeable rear parts,wherein a coupling between the front part and rear part is strong andreliable.

It is an object of the invention to provide a shoe which can beconverted between a high heel mode and a low heel mode, and to this endhas exchangeable rear parts, which has a coupling which can bemanufactured at relatively low costs, in particular with injectionmoulding.

It is an object of the invention to provide a shoe which can beconverted between a high heel mode and a low heel mode, and to this endhas exchangeable rear parts, wherein the conversion process isrelatively easy and quick for a user, and wherein the shoe is of highquality and has a stylish look.

It is an object of the invention to provide a shoe which can beconverted between a high mode in which it has a high heel and a low modein which it has a low heel, and to this end has exchangeable rear parts,wherein the shoe is an alternative to the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to achieve at least one object the invention provides aconvertible shoe, which is convertible between a high heel mode and alow heel mode, the convertible shoe comprising:

-   -   a front part,    -   a first rear part having a first heel, and    -   a second rear part having a second heel which is lower than the        heel of the first rear part,

wherein the first and second rear parts are exchangeable, allowing theshoe to be converted between the high heel mode and the low heel mode,

wherein the convertible shoe comprises a coupling between the front partand anyone of the rear parts which allows coupling, uncoupling andexchanging of the first or second rear part, wherein the couplingcomprises a front coupling part provided at a rear end of the front partand a rear coupling part provided at a forward end of the first andsecond rear part,

wherein the front coupling part comprises at least one recess andwherein the rear coupling part comprises at least one protrusion whichfits in the recess, and

wherein the coupling comprises a locking device for locking the first orsecond rear part to the front part, wherein the locking device comprisesan operating member for unlocking the coupling and allowing the frontpart and first or second rear part to be taken apart.

The convertible shoe according to the invention is easy to convert froma high heel mode to a low heel mode. The convertible shoe is strong andeasy to manufacture. The convertible shoe can be made in high qualityand can have a stylish look.

In an embodiment, each of the rear parts comprises a right and leftprotrusion which define a gap between them, and wherein the front partcomprises a right and left recess into which the right and leftprotrusion fit, wherein the protrusions protrude in particularhorizontally from the forward end of the rear part. It was found thatthis embodiment results in a high quality coupling which is strong andreliable.

In an embodiment, in the locked state of the front part and rear partthe locking device is located centrally between the left and rightprotrusion. The central position allows easy coupling and uncoupling.

In an embodiment, the operating member is provided on a top side of theconvertible shoe and is accessible for a user from the top side of theconvertible shoe when the front part and rear part are interconnected.This makes it very easy to uncouple the front and rear part.

In an embodiment, the front part comprises the locking device. It wasfound that this location is very effective. The locking device may beintegrated into the front part.

In an embodiment, in the locked state the locking device is positionedcentrally on the shoe. The locking device may in particular bepositioned between the left and right protrusion. This results in acompact and sturdy coupling.

In an embodiment, the operating member is configured to be pusheddownwards by a user to unlock the coupling and allow the front or secondrear part to be removed from the front part, and wherein in particularthe operating member is biased by a spring member in an upwarddirection, wherein the user pushes the operating member downwardsagainst the biasing force to unlock the coupling. This allows a veryeasy operation.

In an embodiment, the operating member is a push button which extendsupwards. A push button provides a very simple operation.

In an embodiment, the locking device comprises at least one locking pin,wherein each of the rear parts and in particular the at least oneprotrusion thereof comprises a locking recess into which the locking pinis inserted in a locked state of the convertible shoe, wherein inparticular the right and left protrusion each comprise a locking recessand the locking device comprises a first and second locking pin whichfit into respectively the first and second locking recesses, wherein inparticular the locking recess(es) face downwardly. The locking pinprovides a reliable coupling and uncoupling.

In an embodiment, in top view the locking pin extends over a horizontaldistance away from the operating member. This provides an effectivemechanism.

In an embodiment, the front part comprises a first abutment surface at arear end thereof which first abutment surface faces in a rearward andupward direction, and wherein each of the rear parts comprises a secondabutment surface at a forward end thereof which faces in a forward anddownward direction and which is configured to abut the first abutmentsurface, wherein in side view the first and second abutment surface aretilted in a forward direction over an angle α. This allows the rear partto rest on the front part, and provides an effective transfer of theforces between the front part and rear part when the shoe is used.

In an embodiment, the front part comprises a rear lower end on which therear part rests in the assembled state, wherein the rear part does nottouch a ground surface at the coupling and only touches the groundsurface with a lower end of the heel. In this embodiment the rear partdoes not need to be provided with any sole, which is advantageous.

In an embodiment, the at least one locking recess in the at least oneprotrusion faces downwardly, and wherein the at least one protrusioncomprises a locking portion positioned forward of the at least onelocking recess, wherein the at least one locking portion is configuredto slide over the at least one locking pin, wherein the locking pin isbiased in an upward direction and clicks into the at least one lockingrecess once the locking portion has slid over the locking pin. Thiseffectively allows coupling of the front and rear part without anyoperation of the operating member. The rear part can be simply clickedinto the front part.

In an embodiment, the locking device comprises a right locking pin and aleft locking pin which in top view protrude to the left and to the rightfrom the operating member, each of the rear parts comprising a leftprotrusion having a left locking recess and a right protrusion having aright locking recess, wherein the left locking pin fits in to the leftlocking recess and the right protrusion fits into the right lockingrecess. This embodiment provides a strong coupling.

In an embodiment, each of the rear parts comprises a central rear recessinto which the locking device fits. This provides a compact coupling.

In an embodiment, the at least one recess is only open at the rear endof the front part and is covered at the top side by a top layer of thefront part and is covered on a bottom side by a lower layer of the frontpart. Advantageously, in the coupled state the coupling is completelyconcealed.

The present invention further relates to a pair of convertible shoesaccording to the invention, comprising at least one right front part, atleast one left front part, at least a first and second right rear partand at least a first and second left rear part, the convertible shoebeing convertible between the high heel mode and the low heel mode byexchanging the first right and left rear parts for the second right andleft rear parts or vice versa.

The present invention may further relate to a set comprising multiplefront parts of a left shoe, multiple front parts of a right shoe,multiple rear parts of a left shoe and multiple rear parts of a rightshoe, allowing various combination of front part and rear part for boththe left and the right shoe.

The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing theconvertible shoe according to the invention, the method comprisingmanufacturing the front coupling member and rear coupling members from asynthetic material by injection moulding.

These and other aspects of the invention will be more readilyappreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description and considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which like reference symbols designate likeparts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a pair of convertible shoes accordingto the invention.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded isometric view of a convertible shoe accordingto the invention.

FIG. 3 shows another exploded isometric view of a convertible shoeaccording to the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of a convertible shoe accordingto the invention.

FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of a front part of a convertible shoeaccording to the invention.

FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of a rear part of a convertible shoeaccording to the invention.

FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of a rear part having a low heel and arear part having a high heel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Turning to FIG. 1, a pair of convertible shoes 10A, 10B, commonlydenoted as 10, according to the invention is shown. The convertible shoeis a women's shoe. The shoe is convertible between a high heel mode anda low heel mode. The shoe has a top side on which a foot of the user mayrest. It is noted that the top side 48 may be covered with a layer ofmaterial for providing extra comfort and a better appearance. The toplayer is not shown.

Turning to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, the convertible shoe comprises afront part 12, and a rear part 14 having a heel 16. The rear part has arelatively high heel. A second rear part having a lower heel is alsoincluded. The second rear part is of a similar construction as the firstrear part but has a lower heel. One rear part may comprise a high heelof more than 5 cm and one rear part may comprise a heel of less than 5cm.

The convertible shoe 10 comprises a coupling 20 between the front partand the rear part which allows coupling and uncoupling of the front partand rear part and exchanging the rear part. The coupling comprises afront coupling part 22 provided at a rear end 23 of the front part and arear coupling part 24 provided at a forward end 25 of the rear part.

The front coupling part 22 comprises at least one recess 30, and inparticular a right and left recess 30A, 30B. The at least one recess 30is only open at the rear end of the front part and is covered at the topside by a top layer 38 of the front part and is covered on a bottom sideby a lower layer 39 of the front part.

The rear coupling part 24 comprises at least one protrusion 32 whichfits in the recess. The at least one protrusion extends in a forwarddirection from the rear part. The rear coupling part 24 may inparticular comprise a right and left protrusion 32A, 32B which fit inthe right and left recesses. A gap 33 is defined between the right andleft protrusion.

The coupling 20 comprises a locking device 40 for locking the rear partto the front part, wherein the locking device comprises an operatingmember 42 for unlocking the coupling and allowing the front and rearpart to be taken apart.

The protrusions 32 protrude, in particular horizontally, from theforward end 25 of the rear part. The protrusions 32 may protrude fromthe forward end in a direction which deviates from the horizontaldirection.

In the locked state of the front part and rear part, the locking device40 is located centrally on the shoe, in particular between the left andright protrusion. Centrally in this context means at a substantiallysame distance from a left side as a right side of the shoe.

The operating member is accessible for a user from a top side 48 of theconvertible shoe when the front part and rear part are interconnected.

The front part 12 comprises the locking device. Alternatively, thelocking device may be in the rear part 14.

The locking device 40 is positioned between the left and right recess,wherein the first and second protrusion are configured to be inserted ona left respectively a right side of the locking device.

The front par 12 comprises a depression 51 in the top side locatedforward of the coupling, the depression provides room for the foot bonesto extend somewhat deeper than the upper elevation of the front couplingpart 22.

The operating member 42 is configured to be pushed downwards by a userto unlock the coupling and allow the rear part to be removed from thefront part. The operating member 42 may be biased by a spring member 43in an upward direction. The user pushes the operating member 42downwards against the biasing force to unlock the coupling. Theoperating member may be a push button which extends upwards. Theoperating member slides in a guide 44 having a guide recess 45. Theguide 44 has a right opening 46 and a left opening 47 which areexplained further below.

The locking device 40 comprises at least one locking pin 50. The atleast one protrusion comprises a locking recess 52 into which thelocking pin 50 is inserted in a locked state of the convertible shoe.The locking device 40 may comprise a right locking pin 50A and a leftlocking pin 50B, commonly denoted as 50. In case the rear part compriseright and left protrusion, the right and left protrusion each comprise alocking recess 52A, 52B (commonly denoted as 52). The right and leftlocking pin fit into respectively the right and left locking recesses.The locking recess(es) 52 may face downwardly.

In top view the locking pin 50 and in particular the left and rightlocking pins 50A, 50B extend over a horizontal distance away from theoperating member. The locking device comprises a right locking pin 50Aand a left locking pin 50B which in top view protrude to the left and tothe right from the operating member 42. The rear part 14 comprises aright protrusion 32A having a right locking recess 52A and a leftprotrusion 32B having a left locking recess 32B, wherein the rightlocking pin fits in to the right locking recess and the left protrusionfits into the left locking recess. Obviously in an alternativeembodiment a single locking pin may be provided. In one embodiment thesingle locking pin may extend to the rear and may fit in a single recessin the rear coupling part 24.

The front part 12 comprises a first abutment surface 60 at a rear end 23thereof which first abutment surface faces in a rearward and upwarddirection. The rear part 14 comprises a second abutment surface 62 at aforward end 25 thereof which faces in a forward and downward directionand which is configured to abut the first abutment surface. In side viewthe first and second abutment surface are tilted in a forward directionover an angle α.

The abutment surfaces are configured to transfer a horizontal and avertical force between the front part and the rear part.

The front part 12 comprises a rear lower end 64 on which the rear part14 rests in the assembled state. The rear part 14 does not touch aground surface at the coupling 20 and only touches the ground surfacewith a lower end 66 of the heel 16. This provides an advantage in thatthe rear part does not need to be provided with a sole.

A reinforcing tube 67 made of steel or carbon fits in the heel 16.

The at least one locking recess 52 in the at least one protrusion 32faces downwardly. The at least one protrusion 32 comprises a lockingportion 70 positioned forward of the at least one locking recess 32. Theat least one locking portion is configured to slide over the at leastone locking pin 50. The at least one locking pin is provided with asloping upper surface which allows the locking pin to slide beneath thelocking portion. The locking pin is biased in an upward direction andclicks into the at least one locking recess 52 once the locking portion70 has slid over the locking pin.

In an alternative embodiment, the locking recesses may be provided on atop side of the protrusions or even in a top side of the rear part. Thelocking pin(s) then slides over the locking portion(s) and clicks intothe locking recess(es). In such an embodiment, the locking pin may beembodied as a lever which pivots about a horizontal pin axis. Theoperating member pushes down on the opposite end of the locking pin tolift the locking end of the locking pin from the locking recess in anupward direction.

The rear part 14 comprises a central rear recess 74 into which thelocking device 40 fits.

Turning to FIG. 7, two rear parts 14 are shown, one with a high heel 16and one with a low heel 16. The rear parts have a same rear couplingpart.

The convertible shoe will generally be provided as a pair of convertibleshoes. The pair comprises comprising at least one right front part, atleast one left front part, at least two right rear parts and at leasttwo left rear parts. One set of rear parts will have a high heel and oneset will have a low heel. The convertible shoe is convertible between ahigh mode and a low mode by exchanging the right and left high rearparts for the right and left low rear parts or vice versa.

A set of shoes may comprise multiple front parts of a left shoe,multiple front parts of a right shoe, multiple rear parts of a left shoeand multiple rear parts of a right shoe, allowing various combination offront part and rear part for both the left and the right shoe. The frontparts and rear parts may for instance be of various colour and variousdesign, allowing lively combinations.

It will be understood that the shown embodiments are not complete shoes.In order to complete the shoe, both the front part and the rear part areprovided with a top part which may comprise straps which extend over thefoot of the user and around the ankle of the user.

Operation

The female user may walk on the high heels and carry the low rear partin her bag when she goes to a party, date or other event. When the eventis over, the user may take off the shoes, exchange the high rear partswith the low rear parts and go home while comfortably walking on lowheels. The woman in question will still feel feminine and rather sexybecause of the (low) heels and also because of the overall high qualityof the shoes.

Manufacturing

The front and rear coupling may be manufactured from a syntheticmaterial such as a hard plastic. In a method of manufacturing theconvertible shoe according to the invention, the front coupling memberand rear coupling member are manufactured from a synthetic material byinjection moulding.

The coupling 20 is user friendly, does not have sharp edges and does notdamage other items in a ladies bag. The overall shoe is relatively lightweight.

The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more thanone. The term plurality, as used herein, is defined as two or more thantwo. The term another, as used herein, is defined as at least a secondor more. The terms including and/or having, as used herein, are definedas comprising i.e., open language, not excluding other elements orsteps.

Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limitingthe scope of the claims or the invention. It will be recognized that aspecific embodiment as claimed may not achieve all of the statedobjects.

The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually differentdependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measurescannot be used to advantage.

1.-20. (canceled)
 21. A convertible shoe, which is convertible between ahigh heel mode and a low heel mode, the convertible shoe comprising: afront part, a first rear part having a first heel, and a second rearpart having a second heel which is lower than the heel of the first rearpart, wherein the first and second rear parts are exchangeable, allowingthe shoe to be converted between the high heel mode and the low heelmode, wherein the convertible shoe comprises a coupling between thefront part and anyone of the rear parts which allows coupling,uncoupling and exchanging of the first or second rear part, wherein thecoupling comprises a front coupling part provided at a rear end of thefront part and a rear coupling part provided at a forward end of thefirst and second rear part, wherein the front coupling part comprises atleast one recess and wherein the rear coupling part comprises at leastone protrusion which fits in the recess, and wherein the couplingcomprises a locking device for locking the first or second rear part tothe front part, wherein the locking device comprises an operating memberfor unlocking the coupling and allowing the front part and the first orsecond rear part to be taken apart.
 22. The convertible shoe accordingclaim 21, wherein each of the rear parts comprises a right and leftprotrusion which define a gap between them, and wherein the front partcomprises a right and left recess into which the right and leftprotrusion fit, wherein the protrusions protrude in particularhorizontally from the forward end of the rear part.
 23. The convertibleshoe according to claim 21, wherein in the locked state of the frontpart and rear part the locking device is located centrally between theleft and right protrusion.
 24. The convertible shoe according to claim21, wherein the operating member is provided on a top side of theconvertible shoe and is accessible for a user from the top side of theconvertible shoe when the front part and rear part are interconnected.25. The convertible shoe according to claim 21, wherein the front partcomprises the locking device.
 26. The convertible shoe according toclaim 21, wherein in the locked state the locking device is positionedcentrally on the shoe, wherein the locking device is in particularpositioned between the left and right protrusion.
 27. The convertibleshoe according to claim 21, wherein the operating member is configuredto be pushed downwards by a user to unlock the coupling and allow thefront or second rear part to be removed from the front part, and whereinin particular the operating member is biased by a spring member in anupward direction, wherein the user pushes the operating member downwardsagainst the biasing force to unlock the coupling.
 28. The convertibleshoe according to claim 21, wherein the operating member is a pushbutton which extends upwards.
 29. The convertible shoe according toclaim 21, wherein the locking device comprises at least one locking pin,wherein each of the rear parts and in particular the at least oneprotrusion thereof comprises at least one locking recess into which thelocking pin is inserted in a locked state of the convertible shoe,wherein in particular the right and left protrusion each comprise alocking recess and the locking device comprises a first and secondlocking pin which fit into respectively the first and second lockingrecesses.
 30. The convertible shoe according to claim 21, wherein in topview the locking pin extends over a horizontal distance away from theoperating member.
 31. The convertible shoe according to claim 21,wherein the front part comprises a first abutment surface at a rear endthereof, which first abutment surface faces in a rearward and upwarddirection, and wherein each of the rear parts comprises a secondabutment surface at a forward end thereof which faces in a forward anddownward direction and which is configured to abut the first abutmentsurface, wherein in side view the first and second abutment surface aretilted in a forward direction over an angle α.
 32. The convertible shoeaccording to claim 21, wherein the front part comprises a rear lower endon which the rear part rests in the assembled state, wherein the rearpart does not touch a ground surface at the coupling and only touchesthe ground surface with a lower end of the heel.
 33. The convertibleshoe according to claim 29, wherein the at least one locking recessfaces downwardly.
 34. The convertible shoe according to claim 29,wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a locking portionpositioned forward of the at least one locking recess, wherein the atleast one locking portion is configured to slide under the at least onelocking pin, wherein the locking pin is biased in an upward directionand clicks into the at least one locking recess once the locking portionhas slid over the locking pin.
 35. The convertible shoe according toclaim 21, comprising a right locking pin and a left locking pin which intop view protrude to the left and to the right from the operatingmember, each of the rear parts comprising a left protrusion having aleft locking recess and a right protrusion having a right lockingrecess, wherein the left locking pin fits in to the left locking recessand the right locking pin fits into the right locking recess.
 36. Theconvertible shoe according to claim 21, wherein each of the rear partscomprises a central rear recess into which the locking device fits. 37.The convertible shoe according to claim 21, wherein the at least onerecess is only open at the rear end of the front part and is covered atthe top side by a top layer of the front part and is covered on a bottomside by a lower layer of the front part.
 38. A pair of convertible shoesaccording to claim 21, comprising at least one right front part, atleast one left front part, at least a first and second right rear partand at least a first and second left rear part, the convertible shoebeing convertible between the high heel mode and the low heel mode byexchanging the first right and left rear parts for the second right andleft rear parts or vice versa.
 39. A set comprising multiple front partsof a left shoe, multiple front parts of a right shoe, multiple rearparts of a left shoe and multiple rear parts of a right shoe, allowingvarious combination of front part and rear part for both the left andthe right shoe.
 40. A method of manufacturing the convertible shoeaccording to claim 21, the method comprising manufacturing the frontcoupling member and rear coupling members from a synthetic material byinjection moulding.